Give Input Now On Proposed Country Inn At Bill The Butcher Site

 

Site where new Country Inn proposed

 

A small Country Inn, catering to bicyclists, has been proposed by Seattle and Bellevue developer Ron Sher, in the location where where Bill the Butcher and other shops are located.

On Monday, November 18th, the first phase of Design Review, Early Design Guidance (EDG) meeting, will be held at the University Heights Community Center (5031 University Way NE, Room 209).

Public comments are accepted until then to help with the preparation of the early design guidance regarding important site planning and design issues and what should be addressed in the design for the project, the DPU website says.

Public comment at the EDG meeting is limited to design considerations. If environmental review is triggered, comments related to environmental impacts (such as traffic, parking, noise, etc.) may be sent to DPD following notice of that review.

Comments and requests to be made party of record should be submitted to PRC@seattle.gov or

City of Seattle – DPD – PRC700 5^th Avenue, Suite 2000, PO Box 34019, Seattle, WA 98124-4019.

 
Sher, an avid cyclist, who owns Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park and Bryant, and also owns and was involved in revitalizing the Lake Forest Park Shopping Center and Bellevue's Crossroads Mall in the late 1980's, and is also Director of Cascade Bicycle Club.

He recently submitted an application for Design Review to the City's Department of Planning and Development (DPD), Project #3014432 along with Michael Whalen, who is an architectural consultant on the permit application.

The application entails demolishing the exisiting structure at 3600 NE 45th Street and building a 3-story hotel containing 26 rooms along with 1,631 square feet of retail/restaurant at ground level, and a small restaurant of only 494 square feet on the second floor. Parking for five vehicles would be provided.   There is no indication where restaurant and hotel employees or restaurant patrons would park. 

The project involves possible changes to the Burke-Gilman Trail, departures from the rear backyard setback requirement and parking requirement.  The plan does not seem to show covered bicycle parking and DPD also has questions about ADA accessibility from the Trail to NE 45th Street. 
      

LCC told us that  the the developer is seeking a couple of design departures from the design review guidelines that apply to the project. They need a departure from the setback requirement on the backside of the project as it abuts a residential area as well as a departure on parking requirements. The design review guidelines require parking in the rear and that won’t work due to the slope and the proximity to the Burke Gilman Trail.  The architect has told LCC  that bike parking would be covered and on the side of the lot. Due to the slope of the backside of the lot, the proposed restaurant would be on two levels. 

 
LCC has been been told that there are two scenarios—one would just be the restaurant and the 26 small rooms for guests and the other would include retail on the main level. 

LCC told us that it is highly likely that the businesses in that area would be displaced as the building would be demolished. Only five parking spaces would be provided, most likely the existing parking on the side adjacent to NE 45th Street. The architect has said that the restaurant would cater mostly to the bicyclists, which DPD says is popular in Europe and California.

On Monday at the Early Design Guidance meeting, the following occurs:

1. The applicants will present information about the site and vicinity as well as early massing design concepts.
2. The public may offer comments regarding the design of a development on the subject site.*
3. The Design Review Board will provide guidance and identify those Design Guidelines of highest priority for the design as it moves forward towards Master Use Permit (MUP) application.
4. Following the meeting, DPD will issue a written Early Design Guidance report summarizing the meeting. This report will be sent to those who signed in at the meeting or otherwise requested a copy.

For more information, contact Bruce Rips with DPD at bruce.rips@seattle.gov or call 206-615-1392. 

The plans and project information are available here. 

 

Map: The top of this image is North. This map is for illustrative purposes only. In the event of omissions, errors or differences, the documents in DPD's files will control.